Dr Victor Tay

We the past chairmans of the ICAI Singapore Chapter met the past presidents of our parent institute - organised by the present young & energetic management committee. When we made the rule (about a decade ago) that, we as chairman can only hold the position for one year term,we had a dream that many leaders will come forward & build on the legacy. These youngsters/successive leaders beat all our expectations by growing the chapter to about 500+ active membership and more so organising fantastic monthly events. “It is we in our Leadership role assume that we are indispensable (with good intention) - but the truth is that if we mentor and pave way for younger generations - they will certainly do even better job - that is the Legacy that we can feel proud about. What matters is the “cause/ purpose” & not personal heroism. “ Our chapter is a classic example of this principle. ICAI Singapore Chapter Institute of Chartered Accountants of India Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) Nishant Kumar Surana #successionplanning #legacy #singapore #youthempowernment #svp

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💰💰ENHANCING FINANCIAL LITERACY: A WORKSHOP WITH FINEXIS ADVISORY💰💰 💸Our next stop took us to the bustling city center, where we attended an enlightening Financial Planning Workshop hosted by Finexis Advisory Pte Ltd, a leading financial consultancy firm in Singapore. 💸The experts emphasized the importance of financial literacy for young individuals. They shared practical advice on budgeting, saving, and investing, tailored to the unique financial challenges and opportunities faced by young professionals. 💸We delved into the fundamentals of investment planning, learning about different asset classes, risk management, and the importance of diversification. The experts provided strategies to build a robust investment portfolio that aligns with our long-term financial goals. 💸The session also covered the crucial topic of retirement planning. We learned about the importance of starting early, understanding different retirement plans, and the power of compound interest. 💸The Financial Planning Workshop by Finexis Advisory Pte Ltd was a significant milestone in my journey towards financial independence. As I move forward, I am more confident and prepared to make informed financial decisions that will shape a brighter future. #LeadTheChange #LTCET #LTCET7  #LeadTheChangeExchangeTrip7

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Investment interest in APAC markets is rising, making it essential for fund managers to keep up with the latest trends in fundraising and exits. At a recent EY Wavespace Singapore event ‘Forward Momentum: Emerging trends for Asian managed funds on fund raising and exits', experts gathered to discuss the growing importance of private capital trends and key legal, tax, and commercial factors. Thank you to the valued clients and speakers who joined us in conversation. Please contact us should you wish to learn about how EY teams can support your firm’s growth ambitions: [email protected]

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Is your company ready to meet ESG reporting requirements? It can be complicated to navigate differing regulations and requirements if you are looking at cross market reporting. The Sustainable Finance Institute Asia has announced the appointment of Environmental, Social, and Governance data and technology solutions company, STACS ESGpedia, as the official ESG platform partner for the Single AccessPoint for ESG Data ‘SAFE’ Initiative. The SAFE Initiative is a regional approach to tackling the issue of ESG data, bringing together key stakeholders, including governments, regulators, standard setters, financial institutions, corporates, and SMEs, towards championing data and disclosures for ASEAN and beyond. I spoke to Benjamin Soh , Founder and Managing Director at STACS ESGpedia to find out more

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Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Deputy Managing Director Sing Chiong Leong’s Opening Remarks at the opening of Finance Day at COP SG Pavilion provided a comprehensive update of the progress which has been made in our work to accelerate energy transition though innovative solutions and develop key enablers for cross-border sustainable finance. Sing Chiong’s personal observations at the end of his remarks capture - with insight and grace - the essence of our five-year journey to develop green and transition finance market solutions: “MAS takes a broader view of what Singapore’s financial centre can do to support the region’s transition to net zero. In our own way, we have tried to leverage on our convening power to pull diverse stakeholders together, draw the ecosystem tighter, to achieve scale and impact. In a do-nothing scenario, each stakeholder will do their own thing, put in their best individual efforts, but things will remain subscale. But if we can all leverage on our respective convening powers and work in concert, we can do bigger and better things - where every investment drives progress, every partnership amplifies impact, and every effort collectively creates the momentum to bring us closer to our shared goal of creating an enduring impact for a better and greener tomorrow.”

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What a great way to start the day, spending time with a cohort of cutting edge technology companies from Singapore who are in Japan today with Enterprise Singapore, ACE (Singapore) Pte Ltd and ASEAN-Japan Centre looking at the next steps towards market entry via the Kansai region. **www.infinitycube.com.sg**: Infinity Cube Pte Ltd provides modular, energy-efficient data center solutions utilizing advanced cooling technologies for sustainable IT infrastructure. **www.eigen.digital**: Eigen Digital specializes in AI-driven data analytics platforms that help businesses extract actionable insights from complex data sets. **www.etavolt.com**: EtaVolt Pte Ltd develops innovative energy storage and management solutions focused on enhancing efficiency in renewable energy systems. **www.tictag.io**: Tictag offers data annotation and labeling services to enable companies to train accurate AI models with high-quality datasets. **http://www.quikbot.ai**: QUIKBOT TECHNOLOGIES delivers AI-powered IT automation solutions that help businesses optimize operational processes rapidly and efficiently. One thing the group shared was a strong determination to enter Japan in an efficient and respectful way, and a thirst for knowledge and insights from those that have done so before so it was really fun sharing failures, successes and the learnings that have come with them since I first attempted Japan market entry for a venture 19 years ago and the different approaches that we now have success with for the global startups supported by Innovation Dojo Japan these last 8 years. A few topics we touched on were: - selecting a city to start in: It's becoming easier to cover all of Japan regardless of which city you are based in, so prioritising where your key partners are, market size and where you have less competition are critical #kansai Also, beyond work, what type of environment do you want your team to live in? - hurdles with opening doors to Japanese corporations as partners and potential clients: besides language, how important is it to have "legs on the ground" in Japan, and how do you know when the right time to do so is? How do you find the right talent to represent your company in the market? It was energising to hear how focused and disciplined the group were, and how important Japan is to their global strategies. Looking forward to future collaboration as they progress! Innovation Dojo Japan Enterprise Singapore Innovation Dojo ACE.SG (Action Community for Entrepreneurship) Jeremy Lau Amanda Dizon Gretel Chee Naoya Yoshizumi Kanako Murase JUNIK BAE Kaoru Tsukamoto Siddhant Bhatt Moe Gotoda Marisa W. Daniel Lim Zuo Ming Yap Kevin Quah Kevin S. Jun Rong Oh Bryan Jia Yang Tan

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CR SWCS, as the silver sponsor, partipated the 14th Biennial Corporate Governance Conference (CGC), organized by the Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI), on 20th September. The theme was "Reviewing, Rethinking, Resetting Corporate Governance for a New Era". Top-level management of corporations,  seasoned governance professional,  with the staunch support by esteemed representatives from the government, regulators had participated in this CGC, including Mr. Carlson Tong GBS JP, Chairman of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX); Ms. Julia Leung SBS JP, Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission; and Dr. Kelvin Wong SBS JP, Chairman of the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council. The heavy-weight speakers shared their insights on the evolving landscape and the bettering of corporate governance through key note speeches and panel discussions. At the conference, Mr. Li Shan Song, Vice General Manager of China Resources Corporate Services Limited and Director of CR SWCS, although unable to partake in person, highlighted the importance of developing governance talent in Hong Kong and shared his thoughts through video presentation. In light of the dynamic changes in the capital markets, particularly the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), organizations are facing a multitude of tough challenges in day-to-day operations, including the need to address climate change and other sustainability issues, as well as the compliance and strategic planning related to governance in technologies. From operational perspective, organisations must also pay attention and respond to the geopolitical environment that they have to navigate through the new compliant reality. Corporate governance professionals are called to enhance their skillset and responsibly leverage technology to align with regulatory updates and market transformations, thereby assisting organisations in maintaining compliance and enhancing competitiveness. As a leading corporate services provider, CR SWCS not only actively engages in and supports various HKCGI’s and other professional associations’ initiatives, but also maintains proactive communication with regulatory bodies. All these aims to facilitate the perfection of corporate governance practices in the new era and contribute to reinforcement of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. #CRSWCS #HKCGI #CorporateGovernanceConference #CGC #CorporateGovernance

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Corporate Partner and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Yi Wayn, successfully acted for Illuminate Financial in the recent #SeriesB funding round for OSOME, a Singapore-based online bookkeeping and accounting firm, serving over 13,000 small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers and employing over 400 staff across Singapore, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Philippines, and Malaysia. Illuminate Financial is a thesis-driven venture capital (VC) firm based in London, United Kingdom, dedicated to fintech and enterprise software companies building technology solutions for financial services. This round saw #Osome secure over US$17 million in funding from both new and existing investors, which Osome will be utilising to, inter alia, continue investing in its product offerings, further emphasising the acceleration of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) components to serve its expanding customer base more efficiently. Discover our Corporate Practice: https://lnkd.in/gW3aENq2 Discover our Mergers & Acquisitions Practice: https://lnkd.in/gMbc5iQf   #OonBazul #SeriesB #fundraising #Singapore #corporate #corporatelaw #IlluminateFinancial #Osome #fundinground #fintech #mergersandacquisitions

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Prepare your tax filings early to stay compliant and avoid unnecessary risks.

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We had the privilege of hearing valuable insights from Ivan Nikkhoo, Managing Director of N3 Capital, during our exclusive closed-door session on Best Practices in Investing in Private Capital. Ivan shared the latest trends in private capital, explored key risks, and highlighted best practices for direct investing, co-investing, and manager selection. #OpalGroup #PrivateCapital #FamilyOffices #InvestingStrategies #GAISummit #finance

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🌏 Proud to wave the proverbial Southeast Asia banner at last week's IPEM Paris 2024 alongside my fellow panelists Rishika Chandan and Paul Choo as well as our moderator, Eric Marchand. Southeast Asia is at a crucial juncture of growth and opportunity. Starting with the basics: Southeast Asia will add ~140m new consumers by 2030. This population is large (today over 660m), young, rapidly urbanising and entering the middle class en mass. Besides this remarkable consumption story – Southeast Asia’s economic resilience and stability is also notable with GDP and FDI flows remaining robust over the past 5 years. Notable is that in 2023, SEA-6 attracted over USD 200bn in FDI, surpassing China for the first time in a decade. This shift is driven by the region’s strategic advantages and market potential, making ASEAN an increasingly crucial hub for manufacturing and offering new investment prospects as global supply chains evolve. Further, the venture capital and private equity landscape in ASEAN is maturing rapidly. Assets under management have reached $69 billion, signaling a growing and competitive investment ecosystem. This growth presents numerous opportunities across various sectors, particularly technology and innovation. However, ASEAN faces challenges, including economic disparities among member countries, inconsistent regulatory environments, inadequate infrastructure, and governance and sustainability issues. Addressing these challenges is essential for unlocking the region's full growth potential. As ASEAN continues to grow, its potential as a leading hub for venture capital and growth funding in Asia-Pacific is clear. By engaging with the region’s dynamic ecosystems, investors can play a significant role in shaping its future and tapping into its extensive opportunities. At TNB AURA, we are dedicated to exploring these opportunities and believe that Southeast Asia’s dynamic landscape offers unmatched potential for innovation and growth. 🙏 Credit to the Collyer Capital team for the succinct summary deck posted below (with permission of course).

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Thanks to DealStreetAsia for letting us contribute to this interesting topical piece... #DPI is indeed an issue that needs to be addressed but it is also important to find solutions and tools which can provide positive outcomes for all stakeholders, something that is central to Collyer Capital's strategy! #CCPL #CollyerCapital #DPI #Secondaries #Liquidity

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🚨 Nominee Directors at Greater Risk – Is It Worth It? #Nomineedirectors, often appointed to meet Singapore's local director requirements, face rising risks. ‼️Astonishingly, some are paid as little as S$400-500 a year! Would you risk your reputation for such a paltry sum? Recent changes you must know: 1️⃣ Only registered corporate service providers can help make arrangements for nominee directors now, and they face severe penalties for violating anti-money laundering laws. 2️⃣ Providers must find "#FitandProper" individuals to act as nominee directors. New, stricter guidelines are coming later this year. 3️⃣ Companies and LLPs must disclose nominee director information to ACRA - Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority 4️⃣ Fees for nominee directors will likely to soar as the pool of eligible candidates shrinks. 5️⃣ The Corporate Service Providers Bill, set to take effect early next year with a six-month transition period, will bring even more changes. 👉Before you agree to be a nominee director, think about the implications. This role comes with significant risks, and you can be held accountable for any illegal activities or misconduct by the company. Stay informed, and tread carefully! #boardleadership #boards #boardgovernance

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Interesting updates in SG.

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In a recently published article by DealStreetAsia our Chief Investment Officer Adelene Low shared her views and spotlighted Bintang Capital Partners’ investment in Malaysia’s leading elderly care service provider, Care Concierge.    As the region undergoes a seismic demographic shift, the aged care sector presents both challenges and opportunities for impact investors like us. Some of the emerging trends highlighted in the article include:    - Real Estate in Aged Care: Investment in retirement villages, nursing homes, and wellness-focused living solutions is on the rise. Southeast Asian funds are being directed towards hospital facilities and lifestyle-oriented living solutions, emphasizing the need for comprehensive care environments.    - Age Tech: Innovations in eldercare are rapidly emerging, such as robotic fitness instructors, VR technology for wellness, and advanced medical mobility services. These technologies aim to support the elderly in maintaining independence and cognitive health.    - Cutting-edge products and services: The integration of technology into eldercare is creating new business opportunities. Innovations include wearable devices for health monitoring, data-enabled therapeutic robots, and gamified apps to boost brain function and activity among seniors.    - Financial support: Financial products such as retirement savings schemes and insurance plans will ensure seniors have access to quality care without placing excessive additional strain on the public healthcare system.    - Intergenerational Care: Models that integrate childcare services into nursing facilities are gaining traction. This approach helps alleviate loneliness and social isolation among seniors while providing children with greater security and a sense of community. It also promotes active lifestyles for seniors, reducing the risk of age-related diseases.    Bintang’s investment in Care Concierge has been a pivotal part of our journey and provided invaluable insights into the silver economy.     However, the high cost of aged care remains a significant barrier for the wider population.     This underscores the need for collaboration between the private and public healthcare players to ensure accessible and affordable care for our expanding senior population.    Bintang is committed to supporting companies like Care Concierge that can make a huge positive impact on the lives of Malaysian senior citizens. The silver economy is not just an investment opportunity. By addressing these challenges and embracing innovation, we can unlock the immense potential of the silver economy and ensure a dignified and fulfilling life for our region's growing senior population.    After all, we should all remember that one day we too will be part of the silver economy – the question we should ask ourselves is what sort of future we’d want when that day finally arrives? https://lnkd.in/gMvE4U5u

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Southeast Asia is looking at an investment gap of $1.5T to fund the region's green transition despite green investments increasing by 20%. Read the full story in our Southeast Asia's Green Economy 2024 Report.

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